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The seven churches are not listed until the next chapter. Would John be writing to the many denominations today? Since Jesus has only one bride (his church), then how can there be many (or even 7)? We are all one in him, but we operate in many locations and many countries. We have to stop thinking of Christ's church as a building or even as a location! When the service is over, his church walks out the door and we are all guided by his Holy Spirit who comes to us in many forms. It seems as though the Spirit comes to each congregation to guide and direct us. I like those comforting words that Jesus was, is, and is to come. He is with us now and forever. He always was with us. When I look back on my life I can see that Jesus was directing me almost from the moment I was born or even long before I was born. My mother showed me evidence that I came from a long line of pastors in Denmark. It must be in my DNA! My folks were both solid Christians, and Mom read the Bible to me in my crib! I was not ordained until I was 30 years old after having done everything else under the sun. At the service of ordination my mom told the lady next to her that "my prayers have finally been answered." God's answers are not slow as we think of slow. He is always there guiding us with his Spirit and bringing us into his church. We need to look back and see God's hand in our lives from the beginning and this will give us assurance that he will always be with us!
Jesus is our witness. He was the first to rise from the dead. He raised others from the dead in his ministry, but they are not with us today, so they must have died again, but he only died once for all of us and rose to become king of all the kings in the world. It makes me uncomfortable that a small number of atheists have forced our country to hide our faith and not reveal it in manger scenes and the Ten Commandments, and now they want us to remove God's name from our currency. Jesus said that if we are ashamed of him then he will be ashamed of us! Our constitution only separates "church" and state, but it never intended us to separate God and state! If he is over kings, then he should also be over presidents and congresses. Christians can't help but be involved in politics in a democratic form of government where we are supposed to be in charge (through our representatives, of course).
That seventh verse is in the present tense. It tells us to look! He is coming, and we don't want to miss him. I don't think that means we have to sit with our calculators and analyze every Bible verse to figure out what year to expect him as some did in the year 2000! (Others said he was born in 3 BC!) I don't think that is what God intended. I think he wants us to live the kind of life that he would have us live so that we will not have to worry about the day of his coming like those who killed him. We are all responsible for his death. It was our sin that brought him to earth and made him die for us!
Is God the beginning and end of our life? We need to examine our priorities. We need to keep looking up and prepare. At 85, I will see his day sooner than most of those who read this!
Jesus is our witness. He was the first to rise from the dead. He raised others from the dead in his ministry, but they are not with us today, so they must have died again, but he only died once for all of us and rose to become king of all the kings in the world. It makes me uncomfortable that a small number of atheists have forced our country to hide our faith and not reveal it in manger scenes and the Ten Commandments, and now they want us to remove God's name from our currency. Jesus said that if we are ashamed of him then he will be ashamed of us! Our constitution only separates "church" and state, but it never intended us to separate God and state! If he is over kings, then he should also be over presidents and congresses. Christians can't help but be involved in politics in a democratic form of government where we are supposed to be in charge (through our representatives, of course).
That seventh verse is in the present tense. It tells us to look! He is coming, and we don't want to miss him. I don't think that means we have to sit with our calculators and analyze every Bible verse to figure out what year to expect him as some did in the year 2000! (Others said he was born in 3 BC!) I don't think that is what God intended. I think he wants us to live the kind of life that he would have us live so that we will not have to worry about the day of his coming like those who killed him. We are all responsible for his death. It was our sin that brought him to earth and made him die for us!
Is God the beginning and end of our life? We need to examine our priorities. We need to keep looking up and prepare. At 85, I will see his day sooner than most of those who read this!
